Richard Castle
Richard "Rick" Edgar Castle, born Richard Alexander Rodgers, is a best-selling author who sidelines as a volunteer civilian consultant for the 12th Precinct. He is also the father of Alexis Castle, the son of Martha and is the partner and boyfriend of Kate Beckett. The character is portrayed by Nathan Fillion. History Richard Alexander Rodgers was born to Martha Rodgers and a man yet to be named on April 1, 1969http://twitpic.com/12azx3/full, just after midnight. Given his birthdate, Martha called him her April Fools’ baby, and on his birthdays, she would sit him down and solemnly tell him that he was adopted before taking it back as Richard got serious, and yelling, “April Fools!”http://www.richardcastle.net/about-me Given the very active social life and short-lived career of his mother, he had grown used to his mother's antics and lifestyle, to the point where he was the one taking care of his mother, who was often in trouble. He also had several nannies look after him who, on his account, spent most of their time watching daytime television, with One Life to Live becoming the inspiration to write his first novel. Richard never knew who his father was and initially had no intention of finding out who he was, reasoning that he never met his dad or even had a father figure in his life (which Richard jokingly denies, saying he had lots of father figures because of Martha's various relationships) so he doesn't really feel the loss. As a child, Martha would always gently tell Richard on his birthdays that she had no idea who his father was, which never bothered Richard as it allowed him to imagine that his father could be anyone he wished. He was raised believing that his father was among several that she had slept with at a time, making their dilemma like that of Mamma Mia, as often pointed out by his colleagues. ("Suicide Squeeze") Rick apparently spent his days as a child in the New York City Public Library, where he picked up his speed reading ability and his love for classical books, mostly those by Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Carolyn Keene. As a child, he had written several stories for his own, personal amusement, and sometimes for his friends, beginning with "gross" thriller stories, to non-fiction, which left Richard feeling constrained. He returned to his old imaginative thrillers which scared his school friends enough to make Rick realize his ability to manipulate human emotion as a good storyteller of thrillers. When he hit puberty, though, Richard lost all interest in reading, which then began his days of being a teenaged, stubborn boy. Eventually, obviously, he went back to his old reading and writing habits in a matter of a few apparently unremakable years. At 14, he was transferred to Edgewyck Academy. Homesick and without friends, he turned to writing. Damian Westlake, the literary magazine editor at Edgewyck, took Rick under his wing. He was the first person to recognize Rick's talent, and encouraged and mentored him. Since then, Castle had looked up to his friend as a hero. Even decades later, Castle still gets choked up as he recounts the story. Richard also claims to have been kicked out of New York's finer academic institutions at least once. ("Hedge Fund Homeboys") At one point, Richard changed his legal name to Richard Edgar Castle, with his new middle name a homage to Edgar Allan Poe. During his college writing career, he has held the Old Haunt in high regard, seeing it as the legendary pub with the aura that helps him write. He wrote his first book, In a Hail of Bullets, in a stall in the bar. A photo of him was since then hung on the wall of fame over the booth. In a Hail of Bullets was first rejected multiple times before Black Pawn finally published his book. Soon enough, it became a bestseller. Apparently, he blew through all the money he got for his book in a matter of just six months. Also, he kept his first rejection letter and had it framed in his home office as a reminder and for motivation. Rick then embarks on a relationship with Kyra Blaine, Castle's apparently first true love. Although Kyra's parents strongly disapprove of Castle's relationship with their daughter, their relationship goes on for three years until Kyra decided she needed space and went to London. She apparently expected Rick to follow her, but he never did. It is evident that even years after their last encounter, they still harbor feelings for each other. ]]After college, Richard met Meredith, an impulsive and free-spirited actress. After their whilrwind romance, they have Alexis and get married. A little into the marriage, Meredith cheated on him with her director and moved to Malibu before asking for a divorce between them. Richard gained custody of Alexis, due to her mother's spontaneous lifestyle, and has since been raising her while Meredith travels, looking for her next career ventures, and occasionally visits to stir up trouble as Richard's deep-fried twinkie, a guilty pleasure that is over-all bad for him. Not wanting a nanny to mess up raising Alexis, they never hired one and Richard took care of her himself. Although they had both agreed to no nannies, she did have the occasional babysitter, one in particular is Rina. Also, after Alexis was born, Richard stopped going to the Old Haunt. During the course of writing his Derrick Storm series, he shadowed Sophia Turner, a covert operative for the CIA and his first muse ever that became the basis for the character, Clara Strike. Their relationship began much like how his and Beckett's began apparently, filled with tension and immediate intense attraction. After months of fighting the urge, the two give in eventually, but the relationship barely lasts as they realize that the only thing that could have held them together was the tension that was keeping them apart in the first place. Sophia stated that she hopes she had just never slept with him so that they could have at least kept that longing. Even after the breakup though, the pair still somehow cared for each other. Eventually, Rick meets Gina Cowell, his book publisher and (former) agent. Although the history of their relationship is unknown, they do marry but eventually get a divorce. Despite this, they continue to work together on Castle's books. Meanwhile, as a family man, Richard Castle has proven himself to be a great father and son to the beloved women in his life: his daughter Alexis, who, due to her own evident maturity, acts like the parent among the duo, and his mother Martha, who Richard takes in after she is swindled by her recent ex-husband. They currently live in his large loft apartment at 595 Broome Street in Soho.Exterior shots actually show 425 Broome Street. 595 is an empty lot in real life. Castle also plays regular poker games with fellow best-selling authors James Patterson, Stephen J. Cannell, Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly. He is also good friends with the mayor, Robert Weldon, who, because of their friendship and Robert's love for Castle's books, often heeds Castle's many requests. Evidently, Richard Castle gained universal acclaim as a mystery writer for his Derrick Storm books, amongst his 26 bestsellers, and as a rich socialite known for his parties and rather wild lifestyle. At one point, Richard realizes that he no longer enjoys writing about Derrick and he kills him off, thus ending the series, resulting in several disapproving comments among his readers and peers, many of them stating that he could have just crippled Storm instead of killing him. Season One After the release of Castle's latest Derrick Storm novel, his publisher, Gina, pressures him with a deadline for his next book. As much as he tries to hide and deny it, Rick was suffering from writer's block. Coincidentally, a 'copy-cat' killer begins murdering people based on the way Rick's victims are killed in his books. This draws the attention of the NYPD Department, particularly Detective Kate Beckett, a reader of his novels who immediately noticed the pattern, so they interrogate him. This, however, sparks the curiousity of Rick, who then decides that he wants to be involved with the case since the killer is copying deaths off of his books. After the wrong suspect is arrested, Rick is still convinced that he can figure out who the true killer is, so he steals police evidence, which gives Kate permission to arrest him for a while. Rick's theories, however, begin to make sense to Kate and she begins reinvestigating, with Rick following her again. After somehow helping solve the case, he continues to be intrigued by Kate Beckett. Using his friendship with the Mayor, he is given permission to shadow Kate for research on his new series of novels about a new detective based almost entirely on Beckett: Nikki Heat. Eventually, after Castle's theories and stories begin to actually become helpful, she, along with the two other detectives on her team, Detectives Ryan and Esposito, begins to consider Castle as sort of her partner and a consultant for the police, although he chooses not to help with paperwork. Castle has even gone as far as having a bulletproof vest made for himself that says 'WRITER', as opposed to the others' that says 'POLICE', so he can participate in raids. For the first few months, the partnership is often strained by Castle's luck in personally encountering the suspects and sneaking in behind breaching teams, even after Beckett constant ordering him to remain behind. More than once, his attempts to follow them have played a part in the jeopardizing a bust. Despite this, Castle's familiarity with numerous obscure subjects has allowed him to continue working with Detective Beckett on what are classified as "unusual" homicides, Castle often being able to provide further assistance and information about the current case due to his wide range of contacts assembled during his writing career - including a CIA agent who was actually willing to break agency protocol - and the research he has carried out during that time. Although Beckett must often step in to stop him from getting carried away with his theories when they threaten to obscure the search for the facts, his writing career has given him a knack for noting minor details in the situations they investigate. Alexis, and sometimes even Martha, also plays a part in helping Rick solve some cases. When he gets stuck, Alexis and Martha sometimes throw in some ideas for Rick, sometimes even unknowingly, which in turn actually gives him clues or new paths to follow in a case. At one point, after realizing how bad the precinct coffee is, Richard buys the station an espresso machine, which eventually everyone loved. ("Hell Hath No Fury") As Beckett and Castle spend more time together, layers of their personality begin to unravel between the two. Castle sees more of Beckett's sensitive side, especially when it comes to the way she relates with the families of the murder victims. When she finally decides to tell Castle about the unsolved death of her mother, Castle, being the curious man he is, asks Esposito for a copy of her mother's files and starts an investigation of his own. Season Two In "When the Bough Breaks", Rick was offered to write three novels for the relaunch of a franchise revolving around "a certain British secret agent", unnamed because Castle and his agent claimed that saying the name would jinx the deal, that he was apparently a fan of. Castle initially thought that Beckett might be relieved that he will no longer shadow her; however, it actually became evident that Beckett seemed upset about the thought of no longer having Castle around when he moves onto another book series. In the end, though, he and his agent decide to reject the offer when Nikki Heat became a hit, leaving his publisher wanting three more books and offering him more money. The fact that the "certain British secret agent" deal would have terminated his partnership with Beckett may have also contributed to his decision. In "Sucker Punch", while attempting to catch the killer responsible for the death of Beckett's mother, Castle willingly donated $100,000 of his own money to set up a fake dead drop to try and lure the killer out so that he could be caught, subsequently offering to terminate his partnership with Beckett after she was forced to shoot the real killer – revealed to be a contract assassin who wouldn't disclose the identity of the person who hired him – in order to save his life, although Beckett rejected the offer on the grounds that Castle made her hard job more fun. Personality Castle is often pointed out as immature and childish, yet also charming. He is a well-renowned womanizer and tends to flirt with every attractive woman he comes across, even signing some chests of his fans. Although initially portrayed as relatively jocular and slightly immature about his role in investigations, Castle has demonstrated significant character depth as the series progresses. An unanswered question is the source of Castle's interest in murder mysteries. Long before he started following Beckett, he was known as the "Master of the Macabre". *In "Vampire Weekend", it is suggested that Castle's interest in death, murder, and the macabre may be the result of witnessing a childhood trauma. When confronted several times about it by Beckett, Castle merely found ways to avoid the question. Later, he tells Beckett a story of a son of one of his old nannies in the Hamptons who he apparently found dead. However, as soon as he tells the story, he admits it's fiction. Later in the episode, he admits to his daughter that one of the reasons he writes is to try and understand how criminals could do the things they do. *In "3XK" though, when Tyson explores Castle's morbid curiousity, it is hinted that this curiousity comes from Rick's supressed impulses which he then just puts into writing, insinuating that he is drawn to death because it thrills him for some unknown reason. When Tyson comes back in Probable Cause, he says that it is not unlikely that Castle would have began killing anyway, since he had already killed several people in his mind everyday when he writes his books. This is never confirmed or denied by Castle, though. *In "Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind", he told Ashley's parents that he enjoys studying the psychology of people doing evil and inexplicable things, but was also trying to impress them at the time. *He told Beckett (and, it is implied, Sophia Turner) that he is in it for "the story". Abilities In addition to Castle's knowledge of a multitude of topics, he has also demonstrated a high level of marksmanship and personal defensive training, even out-shooting Beckett on a range as part of a bet. During a confrontation with serial killer Scott Dunn, Castle even managed to shoot his gun out of Dunn's hand before he could shoot at the currently-downed Beckett, although Castle claimed after Dunn's arrest that he'd actually been aiming for the other man's head. He beat Hal Lockwood into submission and fought off Dick Coonan despite being held at gunpoint; both were hardened, trained, professional killers. In "Probable Cause", Rick was able to shoot Jerry Tyson in the chest even while he was using Beckett as a body shield. In "Tick, Tick, Tick…", he operated a taser, so it is shown he is at least familiar with basic police weaponry. Castle is also an expert fencer and frequently duels with Alexis. Castle's flashes of startling competence in combat is at odds with the fact that he's typically fairly inept in a fight. Relationships Romance Kate Beckett : Main article for the relationship between Castle and Beckett 'here'' Castle's relationship with Beckett began as a rocky, forced partnership when Rick decided to shadow her for his Nikki Heat novels. From the beginning, being the womanizer he used to be, Rick had tried to flirt with and woo the detective, who just continuously rejected his advances. Eventually, though, after several solved cases together, they form a bond and friendship that consisted of constant teasing and banters, which others around them usually easily pick up on. Others '''Kyra Blaine ' '''Kyra is Richard Castle's first true love; the girl that Richard describes as "the one that got away". During college, just after finishing his first best-seller, Rick meets Kyra Blaine and pursues a relationship with her. Although Kyra's parents strongly disapprove of Castle for their daughter, apparently because of his lack of character, their relationship goes on for almost three years. At one point in their relationship, Kyra decided that she needed space. Their last moment together was spent dancing under the clock at Grand Central Station before her trip to JFK for her flight to London. She apparently expected Rick to follow her, but he never did. During their separation, Kyra has apparently read all of Rick's books. One of his books, A Rose for Everafter, was actually dedicated to Kyra. He also kept the original manuscript of the book, with one old photo of them tucked into it. Years after their last meeting, Rick and Kyra cross paths again during Kyra's postponed marriage to Greg when a murder requires the presence of NYPD and Richard Castle. It is evident that even years after their last encounter, they still harbor feelings for each other. As the two catch up, they wonder what it would have been like for the two of them if they continued their relationship. Kyra contemplates the possibility that the murder and Rick's appearance is a sign that she shouldn't go through with her wedding plans. One night, the two rendezvous at their 'secret roof' after Beckett and Martha disuade him from coming to her, not knowing that Beckett was having Kyra followed. The two reminisce about their past and end up sharing a kiss. When Kyra's fiancee Greg becomes a suspect for the murder, Castle initially seems intent on pinning him as the killer, but when he realizes that Greg really loves Kyra, Rick tells her about it and supports them, even attending their small wedding ceremony. Meanwhile, Kyra happily leaves Rick all to Beckett, although she tells Castle that she will still be thinking about him from time to time. According to a conversation they had, it also seems like the two have at least once thought about their future, wherein when marriage is considered, Kyra calls it a "Jurassic institution." Obviously, this has changed since she eventually decided to get married. '''Sophia Turner' Sophia Turner is Rick Castle's first muse. When he was doing research for his Derrick Storm novels, he was given permission to shadow the CIA agent. For a while, there had been this intense attraction and tension between the two. After months of fighting the longing and urge, the two finally give in and try a relationship. It does not last though, since the two ended up "driving each other crazy" now that the sexual tension is gone between them. Twelve and a half years later, while Rick is now pursuing a relationship with Kate Beckett, Rick and Sophia cross paths again in the CIA headquarters. Kate almost immediately picks up on their past and notices how similar their ways are to their own, such as finishing each others sentences, building theories together like no one else was around them, and Richard's habit of bringing both of them coffee. His Derrick Storm character Clara Strike is based on Sophia Turner. But according to Castle, she only began as Sophia Turner but he ended up changing her into what he would have wanted her to continue to be: a woman more like Kate Beckett, which is most likely what Sophia was talking about when she said Rick "rewrote their ending". Meredith Meredith was Rick's first wife and is the mother of his only child, Alexis. Surprisingly, Richard is the mature one between the two of them, given Meredith's lifestly that eventually led to their divorce. However, Meredith still constantly pops into their lives, and most likely during every visit, Richard tends to sleep with her, although both are aware that their relationship is now nothing more than that of ex-couples having sex. When Meredith once considered moving back to New York, Richard became fearful of the idea of having Meredith back in his and Alexis' life, saying that she is like a deep-fried twinkie who is bad for his health when he gets too much of her everyday. Eventually, though, she decides to go back on the road after she gets a project (with a little help from Richard's friend), and the family part ways in good terms. Meredith and Rick keep track of their "Top 10" best sex. So far, those enumerated by Castle and Meredith were those they had in Paris, Kauai in Hawaii, Yankee Stadium, 'that place in the Poconos', Mykonos, Coney Island, Staten Island, in a hot air balloon, Westminster Dog Show and the night they made Alexis, with their latest not making the list. ("Always Buy Retail") Gina Cowell Gina Cowell is Richard's second ex-wife, his current publisher and his former book agent. Rick proposed to her on a February evening on a hot air balloon. Although this relationship is not explored further, apparently, Gina is too high maintenance for Rick, while Gina is also often frustrated by Rick's sheltering of Alexis from Gina. Also, the couple often fight and, according to Rick, their relationship didn't involve much sex. Even after their divorce, the two continue to work together for his books. At one point, the manuscript for Rick's second book is due so Gina is pestering Rick to hurry it along. One night, after his offer to go to tha Hamptons is rejected by Kate, who seemed genuinely happy with Tom Demming at the time to Castle, Rick and Gina talk on the phone about his book deadline and end up talking for hours, just like old times. They rekindle their relationship and go to the Hamptons for the summer. The relationship lasts for a while too, until they go back to their old fighting habits. Once, they argue when Gina buys Alexis and Ashley tickets to the Taylor Swift concert which Rick also bought separately. Then, in "Poof! You're Dead", their very loud and public argument in a restaurant is publicized on the paper, and so the detectives at the 12th precinct find out about their relationship problems. The two eventually break up again, through phone, but in seemingly good terms, after mutually realizing that they are no longer in love. Serena Kaye Madison Queller Jacinda Family ' '''Martha Rodgers Richard has a very good relationship with his mother. They both look out for each other and, although are not very vocal about it, seem to love each other dearly. Alexis Castle Richard raised Alexis closely and very well. Richard often wonders how he raised a 'perfect' daughter and sometimes wants to let her get into trouble, but also often becomes very protective of her. Father As a child, he never knew who his father was and had no intention of finding out who his father was, reasoning that he wouldn't have anything to look for since he never met him. Martha would always gently tell Richard on his birthdays that she had no idea who his father was, which never bothered Richard as it allowed him to imagine that his father could be anyone he wished. He was raised believing that his father was among several that she had slept with at a time, making their dilemma like that one of ''Mamma Mia, as often pointed out by his colleagues. Captain Montgomery has speculated that Castle's knack for police work may come from someone in his family. In Linchpin, Sophia suggests that Castle's father was connected with the CIA in a position of adequate rank to get Castle access a writer would never normally be given. Although Castle claims he isn't interested in pursuing the mystery of his father's identity, Sophia's little hint drop about his father obviously awakened his curiousity about his father. Friends Esposito & Ryan Richard has developed a strong bond with these two detectives. Initially, they act indifferently towards him, although amused at his and Beckett's spark, but eventually warm up to Castle and actually even look forward to his stories and theories about their cases. Eventually, they form what seems like a brotherhood that Kate and Lanie once referred to as "Sex and the City, but with boys." In "A Deadly Affair", after Richard left for the Hamptons for a whole summer, they are evidently upset when they find out that Rick was already back in town but didn't bother to call the precinct. In "Cops & Robbers", although they normally have no involvement with "10-30" robbery calls, they do so in this one case because Castle is among the hostages being held in the bank. In "Probable Cause", although trying to be professionals doing their jobs as detectives by investigating thoroughly, when Castle is pointed out as the suspect to a murder, their main intention during the investigation was trying to look for evidence that Castle is innocent. Even after all the evidence began piling up against him, they still could not believe that their friend could have done such a thing, so they decided to help him and Beckett continue investigating Jerry Tyson after Castle's escape from police custody. After Kate forced them to read Rick Castle's books in the pilot episode, the two are since then sometimes seen reading or holding a book by Castle. Ryan even seemed to have become a fan, once saying that Rick's idea of bringing back Derrick Storm is bad since he was just beginning to accept his death. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uR6-XikWKrE Lanie Parish Lanie and Rick first meet when the body of the third copycat murder is found. Richard shows off his knowledge of medical terms and Lanie compliments the details of death in Rick's writing. Lanie is one of the first people to pick up on Rick and Kate's attraction and the first to actually point it out to Kate. She has shown to be very supportive of their relationship and has been rooting for them since the beginning, although being a friend of Kate, she only wants what would make her friend happy so when Rick seems to be pursuing other things, Lanie gives Kate advice on dating other men. Bibliography Derrick Storm novels * Gathering Storm * A Calm Before Storm * Storm's Last Stand * Storm Season * Storm Rising * Unholy Storm * Storm Warning * Storm's Break * Storm Fall * Storm Approaching * Driving Storm * Derrick Storm Derrick Storm eBook novellas * A Brewing Storm * A Raging Storm * A Bloody Storm Nikki Heat novels * Heat Wave * Naked Heat * Heat Rises * Frozen Heat Other novels * In a Hail of Bullets (winner of the Nom DePlume Society's Tom Straw Award for Mystery Literature) * Death of a Prom Queen * Flowers For Your Grave * Hell Hath No Fury * A Skull at Springtime * At Dusk We Die * When It Comes to Slaughter * A Rose for Everafter * Kissed and Killed * One Bullet One Heart Trivia *Castle changed his name to Richard Edgar Castle because he thought it sounded better. Development According to Fillion, the character's name "Rick Castle" was intended to sound "like you're saying 'Rich Asshole'," and executive producer Andrew W. Marlowe confirmed that "'it's certainly a way when you're yelling his name for it to sound a little bit like...' a profanity." The actor also describes Castle as "a bit of a douche" with "a bit of a Peter Pan Syndrome" stemming from a lack of "real male adult role models in his life."Nathan Fillion Talks Castle and a Little Itty Bit of Whedon Marlowe explained that he designed Castle's character as one that presents a "storytelling point of view" as a counterpoint to Beckett's evidence-based policework.Fillion's bad boy charm makes him king of ABC's 'Castle' On casting Fillion to fill the role, Marlowe described Castle as "the right vehicle for the right personality."King of the 'Castle' He also acknowledged the similarity between the Castle/Beckett relationship and the Booth-Brennan relationship of Bones.Owen-TV: 'Castle' star the next Angela Lansbury? References External links *Richard Castle author page @ Amazon.com **Heat Wave novel @ ABC.go.com **Heat Wave novel @ Amazon.com **Naked Heat novel @ ABC.go.com **Naked Heat novel @ Amazon.com Castle, Richard Castle, Richard